And we'll have a song.

Since I got to school, I've been "church hopping" with friends every Sunday. We like visiting the different churches in the area. Today, I went to a new one and I really really liked it. I'll probably go back every other Sunday. (On the other two Sundays a month I go to my friend's new church with her.)

This church has a few young married couples and I couldn't help but think about how I can't wait to go to church with my husband on Sundays, and then eventually with our family. His arm around the back of my seat, people greeting us as a couple, someone to talk with about what we learned in church that day, and, most importantly, someone who shares my faith and desires to grow in his as I grow in mine. I want to meet a man who can be that for me.

Looking around that room this morning got me to thinking about the fact that within the year I'll meet him. I don't wonder why God clued me in to this fact--I need to be preparing myself. I want to be ready for the man that is being prepared for me. What I do wonder is where. Where will I meet him? Not at school. I think those very few options have been exhausted, and it's going to be someone I'd not met yet in July anyway. There was a pretty nice looking guy in church today. Heh, I'm just kidding. Well, he was good looking. ;) But I'm not obsessively looking for my future husband. Or really all that actively looking. Every guy has potential, but every guy had potential before God let me in on part of His plan. Just because I know one of them will be my Someone, doesn't mean I'm letting myself get all hyped up about it. I'm grateful that God has given me the strength and confidence to approach it that way.

Someday, someday soon, I will meet my Someone.

Autumn

I love the Fall. It's my favorite season, by far. The smell and the crispness of the air, the colorful leaves, the flavors, hoodies and jeans, clogs take the place of flip-flops, Thanksgiving... I love everything about it. I think my favorite part is when I realize that Autumn is finally here. It's usually the smell. I inhale deeply, and close my eyes as a contented smile makes it's way to my face. It's the same every year. I love Fall.

And it's here!

Six-man

For our senior year, my roommate Jess and I decided we wanted to live in "upperclassman housing." The building we're in has three floors of rooms: two six-mans, and two quads on each floor, and then the third floor also has two doubles (two people rooms) and the fist and second floors have four doubles [each]. Jess and I live in a six-man with one of my good friends Greta and her friend, and another of my acquaintances from Chorus and her roommate. Each pair of us have our own room to share, and then the six of us share the one and a half bathrooms, and a common area.

I really like living with so many people. There's pretty much always someone to come home to, to greet you, to smile at, whatever. Ashley and Lucia are mostly gone or in their room, so usually it's me, Jess, Greta and Lauren, though Lauren is with her boyfriend a lot. I'm glad she's here with us though because I enjoy her company. Her boyfriend is fun too (Our "Other Roommate"). I've sort of been dubbed "the mom" of the suite because if there's a problem with something in the room, or if someone is leaving for the weekend or won't be coming back until late, they'll all let me know. Jess says I give off a vibe. I don't mind it; I like taking care of people. It's a nice little community here. I enjoy it.

I've especially enjoyed getting to know Greta better. I met her at IVCF her freshman year (my sophomore year) but we didn't really become friends until the next year. I got more involved with IVCF, and she'd been asked to be on the Exec Team so we saw more of each other and started to hang out some with the same groups. By the end of the school year, we were pretty good friends. Greta heard that Jess and I were planning to try to get a six man and asked if she could join in. So now we're living together, and that has provided more opportunities for chatting and getting to know one another. It's been good to have the kind of company and support she provides. Next semester, she'll be in Florida for an internship at Epcot. It'll be weird not having her here.

Swimming in the Job Pool

I hate job searching. I really do. It makes me anxious; though I suppose that is a normal reaction to the process. I guess I didn't realize how spoiled I was, having a job for four years. And before that, I had my first job for almost two years.

When I came back to school this semester, I put off calling the Starbucks here. At the end of Spring semester, I was frustrated with my manager about things involving getting shifts off. Well, I was vocal about it to a few people--out of frustration as well as for the purpose of seeking advice--and I was apparently frustrated in front of some wrong person because when I finally did get a hold of my manager...well, I'm not welcome back at that store. It's a new experience for me. I've not really ever worked with someone that I clashed with like I do with her, let alone a manager. But we never really did click. Oh, well. I wasn't looking forward to working with her again anyway, so this is for the best. I didn't get fired, I'm still a Starbucks employee so I can work when I go home. God knew I wouldn't do anything about the situation myself (except gripe and complain about it) so He took care of it. Don't get along with Amy? No longer a problem.

I still need money, however, so I need a job. So far I've applied to Barnes and Noble, Borders, Hallmark, and Bed Bath and Beyond. I don't really want to have to learn too many new things, and I don't want another job that is as high stress as Starbucks can be. I figured book stores and the other retail stores would be good. When I turned in the application at Bed Bath and Beyond, the guy sort of looked over it and then asked me if I would come back the next day for a "second interview." I was a little shocked, but I figured it was a good sign. The interview was yesterday. I'd put on the application that I could start work this Friday, but then I got to thinking that maybe I wanted to wait to hear from the other jobs. I said something about it during the interview and now I'm not sure I'm glad I said something. I'm not sure what the guy made of it. A friend told me, "You know you're not going to be hired now, right?" and that messed with me. I felt really discouraged afterwards, when I'd felt so excited going in to it. After awhile, I calmed down and felt a bit better about it. God has it handled. I'll get a job, and it will be the one I'm meant to have. One rocky interview doesn't mean anything. Even if I'm not used to rocky interviews...

I supposed this whole process is meant to humble me. I'm not used to managers not liking me, and I'm not used to people not wanting me to work for them once they've met me. We'll see. It will work out.

"D" is for "Diploma"

So far my goal of not stressing out about my classes and school work is working out fairly well. I almost had a little freak out before my first (and only so far) quiz, but I reminded myself of the promise I made...myself...and it worked out pretty well.

A few of my friends have already had some melt-downs, and the one I was witness to shook me a bit. I am in difficult classes--all science. And my ADD has been in rare form lately. I can't seem to make my brain focus on Anatomy for 50 minutes and then 30 minutes later on MicroBio for 75 minutes. Weird, right? *sigh* I need to start printing out the MicroBio slides and that should help. Anyway, I was shaken because a lot of what she was saying to her mom on the phone was an echo of the thoughts I've been chasing out of my mind before I think them too thoroughly. The information all runs together, my notes aren't that great, I don't really understand what's going on, etc. However, I'm still not going to freak out. I'll have to see how it goes when I have my first tests. Which is sooner rather than later because they're next week. So. Fun.

Things I tell myself? It's really only two classes I'm thinking I'm struggling with, I have people to study with in both classes, I'm pretty sure both teachers drop the worst test score, I just need to get though this material because I think the other units will be easier to understand, I just need to get through this semester because next will be better, and "D" is for "Diploma". So there we have it. No need to stress myself.